Portret van Leonhard Golling 1677 - 1690

This print of Leonhard Golling was made by Lambert Visscher, a Dutch artist active in the second half of the 17th century. Visscher produced this print as a service for the sitter, or perhaps for a wider public interested in Netherlandish elites. Prints like this one offer insight into the social hierarchies of the time. Note the trappings of wealth and status: the elaborate ruff, the fashionable doublet, the family crest displayed prominently below. These were visual markers understood by contemporaries, signaling Golling’s place in society. The print itself, as a reproducible image, also speaks to the growing importance of portraiture in solidifying social status within the Dutch Republic. Analyzing prints like this requires us to look beyond the individual and consider the broader social and institutional context that produced and consumed such images. Archival research into Dutch printmaking practices and genealogical records can help us understand the market for portraiture and the role it played in constructing social identities.